TransCanada applies for Keystone XL pipeline permit

May 4 (Reuters) - TransCanada Corp has asked the U.S. government for approval to build the $7.6 billion Keystone XL oil pipeline which has been put on hold due to environmental concerns.

The company said in a statement that it has submitted an application with the U.S. Department of State for the pipeline from the United States and Canada border in Montana to Steele City, Nebraska.

TransCanada, which decided recently to chop its Canada-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline into two to get the controversial project started, made the switch to oil from gas for the Canadian portion of the initial Keystone line.